Freedom
by The Unbridled Maiden
Summary: "So you the one- the saiyan of legend? You're the one Vegeta is hunting?" She breathed, her words carrying a soft wisp of horror. Slowly, he leaned down to her ear and whispered, "Yes..." Who knew fate could be so cruel.
1. New beginnings

Freedom has but one simple meaning: To endeavor upon ones trivial wants and desires without restraint or conviction.

It pertained to liberty. Contributed to the strength and will power behind the character. Where did it originate from though? What right of passage did a person have to survive to have it? What invisible chains constricted a person's freedom to the point they had to fight for it?

The right is debatable being that many factions war for the peace of mind that their freedom is their own, and would love to control that of another. Could it actually be stolen? Restricted?It is an irrefutable mind set, a luxury to some. So the question remains: What is so devastatingly powerful that it corrodes mental stability?

Control.

Power hungry dogs that gnaw at free will's supple bones for life blood.

Paragus failed to realize what he had created when he forced his son's power into recession. A time bomb of radial, kinetic energy that was capable of damage that only the gods could imagine. He was feeble against him without the device. Useless. So he needed an apparatus, something to tame the flame that was Broly's acute love for destruction before he was consumed by it. How long could he manage it, though? Time was becoming thinner and thinner with each passing moment he didn't have something more dominant to control his son. His reign over him would surely end if he failed.

That was why he contracted her. An ignorant Earth woman.

She was meek at best, timid and weak, but her face was sweet. No, beautiful. If her blood was saiyan she would be a picture of perfection. She could suffice though. The argument she had with the other he had also fooled was implausibly abrupt. A true show of resilience and stubbornness. She defiantly had spirit enough to survive his son if only for a day or so. If he proved worthy of fate she would be the very answer to his prayers.

She was so young, so easy to fool.

Her thin, feminine frame held itself in a composed position in the event that her mind may set loose. She was an outlandish concoction of emotions on the inside, and they rattled her frail bones in such a manner that she feared they may show on the outside if she were not careful. A lamb among lions, that's what she was. She was a single human among what seemed like gods. What in the world was she thinking? She questioned herself and her sanity as she peered into the vastness of space. It was so black, she couldn't believe it. Just a pit of empty space. The stars seemed so incredibly distant and yet she felt she could touch them finally as she had dreamed since she was child that was barely able to walk. This is what she had dreamed of all along. Nothing filled with wonder and discovery. Just what did she plan to discover though? Had it not been an answer, and a precarious arrangement for her to come, she would never have the chance to find out.

Paragus gave her an excuse to do something risky and she took it. It was that simple.

So why didn't she feel like it was?

Her life had been filled with ups and downs, stops signs, and potholes, all of which kept her from accomplishing much of anything unique, so she began to feel a bit uninterested with her daily life. Being given the chance to leap into the unknown seemed like a light at the end of a tunnel, a beacon. Her safety no longer became the number one concern any longer, and she had been so easily wooed by pleasantries that Paragus had presented to her that her mind had become hazy and uncertain of its own grounds any longer.

"Carpe Diem," and old friend had once said to her. "You only live once."

She certainly felt alive right now. Her mind wouldn't stop its infernal racket long enough for her to sleep even a wink, and for some reason she was fine with that. That meant she kept away from the more awkward bits of her life for the time being, one being her asthma that seemed to flare at the perfect time always. Asthma, Anxiety, and everything else that made her life more difficult than it had to be and yet there she was experiencing something she had only dreamed of.

Dreams could turn into nightmares.

One moment she could be in paradise, thrilled with her surroundings and the next, engulfed in terror and misery. She shuttered, unwilling to continue her inner conundrum. But what would she, little Nambia, do if things were to go horribly wrong? Death, she was scared of. She was prone to inhibition, a magnet inways. Her frale appearance made her no liar. She was a ragdoll- a delicacey. Soft, tender hands reached out to touch the glass that shielded her from the depths of space that could surely crush her if it was not there to protect her. What would she do if things went terribly wrong? Certianly they wouldn't, she told herself- she had hoped. Hope was laughable could go horribly wrong at any given time and she was well aware of that. Had she not such a confident persona to compliment her insecurities she would be on earth right now, enjoying a drink in the comfort of her own home. Intoxicated on lonliness. How pathetic. What did she even really see in Paragus when he so politely asked her to join him, she wondered while propping her rosey cheek into the palm of her hand. What did he see in her? Surely she looked like suck a sickly thing compared to whatever saiyan females looked like, and her attitude was as timid as she was. There was nothing about her that she saw that stood out as phenominal.

Suddenly, her thoughts were interrupted by a sigh of air escaping a hatch rather loudly. Ignorant to her surroundings, she began to panic slightly and expected the worst as she usually did. Slight wheezing began to occur in her lungs that she quieted instantaneously. Not here, not now, she thought to herself while clutching her heart to try and calm it. She to be strong and aware, and so she was. Straightening out her jaw, she peered around to find she had been left on the ship alone. They had landed.

AN: I might as well do this disclaimer before someone gets sue happy.

THIS IS A FAN BASED FICTION. DRAGON BALL, DRAGON BALL Z AND DRAGON BALL GT ARE ALL OWNED BY FUNIMATION, FUGI ANIMTION AND AKIRA TORIYAMA. PLEASE SUPPORT THE OFFICIAL RELEASE.

Except for Nambia. Nambia is mine.

Read and Review please 3


	2. First Contact

Her hips swayed in a fashionable manner as she took her time waltzing up to the palace, the hard heels of her flats making a clicking noise with each short step she took. She trailed the group by a few short feet, making her the slowest member of the gang. Fastening her pace, she caught up just in time to be bombarded by a hoard of men hailing Vegeta in a lot of lusty, throaty voices. Unsure of her feelings of being alone, and being eyed by a few, she caught up behind Trunks and stuck closely to him.

"My only son. He is at your service," she heard Paragus humbly say while introducing another male that slowly began to become visible through the shadows.

"I, am Broly," he answered in a hush, monotone voice that was robotic in the way it carried to her ears.

With her curiosity rising, she peaked around Trunks' shoulder at him, catching the slightest glimpse before he turned his, dull, cold, black eyes in her direction, locking her face with his in seconds. Her heart halted its rhythm. There was something there in his eyes, as if he were trying to speak with her telepathically, but his face was so neutral that she couldn't be certain what he was trying to get through to her. Then, his nose made the slightest of wrinkles as if he caught some sort of a brief, odd smell, and he tilted his head with a furrowed brow in her direction. Nambia ducked, feeling the sensation of embarrassment trickle up her spine. Those eyes of his killed her on the inside, made her immobile in ways. They were so dark and full of angst, but why point them in her direction? What did she do that was so outlandish that it drew his weary attention her way? Gulping, she found the courage to glance back his way, finding that he had thankfully directed his attention elsewhere in the distant horizon. She breathed a sigh of relief and felt her face glowing a hot red despite his lack of attendance at the moment. Comparing him to Paragus and Vegeta, she found his height was uncanny. No wonder he could spot her so easily, but the question raises again, why? Why single her out? What did he find about her that got his undivided attention for even a split second?

Then, in a whirlwind of feet and fists, she was hurled at the steps of the castle by a soldier who must have had quite an important message to convey. Her scream was short, loud, and eye catching she was sure, but she recovered swiftly only to find she was bleeding from the mouth profusely. She swore under her breath while trying to catch what blood she could in her palm to reserve any self-respect she had left.

"Your majesty! The super saiyan has been spotted on planet Totocama!" Her assailant declared with urgency lacing his words.

"Stupid saiyan," she whispered venomously as she helped her own self up, dirt and rubble falling from her purple skirts. Peering down, she grimaced as she found her hands and top were soiled with her own blood. She must have down much worse than scratch her lip. Fearing busted skin, she braved her emotions and walked up to the owner of this so called 'palace' for inquiring reasons. "Where is the bathroom?" She mumbled through her hand, swearing she saw Paragus smirk in light of her situation.

"Broly," he started, only pausing to watch her face flow hot with blood. "Escort this young woman to the infirmary."

"No!" She almost yelped before regaining her composure. "I mean, I can get it to stop bleeding with a rag and water."

"Nonsense," soothed Paragus. Nambia flinched as he moved away her hand, forcing her to show the ugly wound to him and the world. "Broly take her to the hospital wing. The poor girl is delusional from her fall. I shall prepare the ship for Prince Vegeta's hunt in the meantime."

Uneasy was a weak description compared to how she truly felt with him, the saiyan robot, clunking behind her as he guided her to where ever they were heading. She sensed the negative energy radiating off him so strongly that she could almost feel the vibrations rattling her bones to the marrow. It was anger and vexation wrapped into a ball of forced neutrality, almost as if he were imprisoned by some unknown force. She shuttered inwardly-quaked harshly in her bones. Truth is, he scared her but she couldn't not think of him and how he bested her. Broly's stature outranked hers by far, as did most males in particular especially saiyans, but she hadn't a clue she could feel this minuscule. She was so weak compared to him, so insignificant. Him singling her out earlier as their first contact meeting proved to her that he has the ability to quickly zone prey- if indeed she was prey. What was she getting herself into if she was? There was no room for regrets, no immediate ways out. She sucked back nervous breaths as they rounded a hallway by his silent direction, only glancing back at his face for a moment before snapping her attention straight forward again. What was once monotone was now a disgruntled face twinge, or so she examined. His face appeared warm as if he were hot with fever, but by the way his fist were balled she didn't want to inquire. What was he thinking? What had she done? Busting her lip wasn't necessarily her fault. She didn't ask to be shoved onto brick lay out. So deep was she in thought that she had become hazy with her surroundings shortly before she collided with a door, knocking herself at his feet again with a soft thud.

"Sorry," she spat out quicker than she thought to recollect herself. Standing, she examined his eye roll and felt her body flush red with bashfulness. Obviously she was annoying but he could just leave now, so why didn't he?

Luckily for her they had arrived at their destination before she could make an even larger fool of herself, and she became utterly shocked. What Paragus had made out to be lavish was nothing more than a long room decorated with dull electricity and candles with beds and machinery affray everywhere she looked. There were a couple of little aliens in there, all beaten and bruised about their green, wrinkly skin. She gave them a pitiful half smile. Poor things looked like they'd been through hell and back. Adjacent to the door she entered through there was a medicine cabinet opened and messy with medical netting and bandaging linen strewn this way and that with a rather large tub of a sink beneath it. She snatched a washcloth first and held it under the steaming water as it poured out. Hot water glistened like sweat on her hands and crusted blood just seemed to melt off of her like crimson stained snow. Thankfully she had found that she had only split skin when she fell and she heal up within a few days with the price of a fairly unsavory looking scar to compensate.

"Back to work slaves," she heard him snarl like a wolf, making all the little chartreuse colored people tremble in terror as they stumbled from their hospital beds with poorly dressed wounds. One, a child she presumed, who was stumbling worse than the others and extremely malnourished.

She scooped the child into her arms with a long 'awwww' slipping past her lips and held him close to her without regard to Broly's asperity. They must be the palace servants, she reckoned, but why treat them so incredibly harshly? She choked back a frown as the little creature held on to her shirt, unsure of what to do if she would encounter Broly's wrath for defying him. He was a saiyan, a cold heartless saiyan.

"Please, he's just a child," she pleaded in hopes that some good might come out of it. Broly, with arms crossed and a scowl embedded on his face, didn't seem to care to much for what it was. She could see in his eyes that a slave was a slave to him. "Please, I'll do his chores for him until he's better if you want me to. Just let the poor little guy rest until he's better."

He crept insanely close to her this time, lowering his head to eye level with her so she could stare into the dark pits that were his irises but instead she looked away in fear that she may cower and fall. She had no desire to look into his eyes until he forced her with a gruff pull of her chin to his. Obviously he had no concern for personal space and in realizing that, she forced her heart to calm down so he wouldn't here how it thundered and made her chest wheeze like air being forced through a vacuum. She had to play her cards right if she wanted the situation to turn in her favor, but when he began to speak in slow, guttural words she froze, unsure of what to do like a deer in the headlights.

"You want to waste your time taking care of a slave? Ha," he laughed, forcing his hot breath to roll off her forehead and chill her innards.

She stumbled for words, her mouth twitching and tongue flickering as she tried to speak without much resolve. With vague thoughts, she nodded for whatever reason she thought it would help and felt immense outrage boil in her stomach. Never had she been in such a situation that she felt this small before and had such little to say to defend her reasoning. When he let go of her, laughing like a madman at the pitiful way she defended herself, something in her snapped like a fallen branch. Instead of fear, she shook with anger, setting the child down behind her and balling her fists in peevishness. She didn't know what she was going to do until after she let loose her emotions, tumbling after him and slapping his chest thrice before finding that she had collided with a wall shortly after her outburst. She landed on the ground on her side, her back only barely aching for the time being but she knew there would be a bruise to show for it later. Rolling into a sitting position, she found her common sense again to slay any more irrational thoughts she may have. He was before her, reaching down to pick her up just before she slid out of the way in trepidation. There was no way in hell she was letting him touch her again.

"Please don't hurt her! I'm going," the young child pleaded before coughing twice, second time with blood, "I promise!" The child skittered off frightened by the display of violence he had witnessed and hoped to find refuge among his own people. Nambia gaped in confused betrayal. Had she known exactly how fearful these people were of Broly she would have never tried to help. Maybe she should learn from them.

"See," he mocked in a loud booming voice. " They're trash. Wasted space," laughed Broly. She stood and wrapped her arms around herself to protect herself from the sudden chill she had speed down her spinal cord, still keeping her distance from him. In seeing this, he closed the gap with one stride if only to watch her squirm beneath the invisible force he let off.

"He was scared," she defended as best she could, only to be pushed against the counter. Her attempts were feeble but she dare not bloat his ego with anymore sheepish cowering.

"And are you?" He laughed darkly in her ear.

Nambia straightened up, her chest puffed out and her breath held in the back of throat so she wouldn't appear scared, "No," she lied. Badly.

"Nice try," he mocked with a wide smirk.

What was she going to do now? She found herself backed into a corner with a hulking alien pinning her between there and the door with no intentions of letting her save herself. Sweat began to moisten the palm of her hands, making them slippery against the hardwood counter. Card game, card game, she reminded herself. She had a full deck and he had played his hand, now it was her turn. She tested the waters with her hands, placing one on his chest and refusing to retract it even after he growled like a vicious dog. Damn man was unreadable. She had the creeping suspicion that he made himself that way to draw this out, to feed on her fear like some sort of vampire. She knew saiyans liked to intimidate, but playing cat and mouse wasn't on her agenda. Gently, she allotted herself enough room to squeeze past him and sashay to the door, playing her feminine card as a small distraction without exaggerating herself. He held stoic behind her, arms crossed and that same cocky smirk on his face he had before. She thought she was unstable with her emotions but in the last hour she had watched him go from robotic, to angry and demanding, to joyously intimidating, to just plain annoyingly hubristic. The true saiyan emotions she guessed. How vexatious.

"You know, there's nothing wrong with being scared," she spoke with a bravery spike growing inside her. "As long as you don't let it change who you are."

"Saiyans are never scared of anything," he warned, his black hair shrouding his face to make it appear more ominous.

She had become weary of this fight by now and wearily gave in. "Yeah, whatever," she sighed with her back as she smoothed her red curls away from her face. "Good bye, Broly."

He pursued her of course. His will to fight was undying even if it was something as petty as the ordeal he was putting her through, " Where the hell do you think you're going" he demanded with a tone that more so mimicked that of a crude teen.

"Away from you!" She snapped with more ferocity than intended. At this point, speaking to her would be like poking a hornets nest.

"No," he laughed while grabbing her hand and squeezing it hard enough to make tears fall from her eyes. "Just who do you think you are, pathetic earthling?"

"Nambia, that's who," she yelled in his face while she tried to twist and dig her claws into his hand with no avail. "Let go!" She yelled multiple times while simultaneously kicking and scratching at his hard exterior before she became sick of hearing herself say it and him just laugh in her face. "Please, let me go," she finally breathed.

He did to amuse her a bit and watched in triumph as she rubbed her sore wrist that was begging to swell with bruised tissue, "Thank you so much," she barked sarcastically and with a boorish slur to her words added, "Do I have permission to leave now, master?" She huffed.

He grinned mischievously. This was the most fun he'd had in years.

"Seems that you've learned your lesson," he chortled just before pushing her down onto her knees. She landed with a scream of defiance but at the point they were, she was to exhausted to fight back.

That was the end of their skirmish for the time he granted and Nambia had no intentions of reigniting that flame. She was cut and bruised and had lost will to do much of anything other than to give into fatigue and find a bed and lay face down on it until the end of time. Food didn't sound bad either to her being that it'd been a day without anything other than tea at a half sandwich at the picnic earlier. Her stomach groaned at her, as did her feet when she realized that she was wandering aimlessly around the castle imprinting things into her mind that she may need later on such as distance and location. It was dark and cold without much decor to line the walls as she floated about aimlessly. She could wander in peace though. Broly wasn't present in the castle at the time, and she thanked all heavenly bodies for that. That man wore her out both physically and mentally. She rubbed her wrist in memory of her tactless scuffle with him earlier. Vegeta had recruited him and his father on another saiyan hunt to a distant planet that she had hoped would take days to reach and return from. With any luck she would be right. Then, in mid thought, she caught the scent of food waft by her nostrils, making her stomach flail and churn with burning hunger. She followed it, like a dog on a leash, to the dining room that was decorated with an ornate dining table that held a feast on its top. It looked absolutely lavish and delicious compared to the rest of everything in the castle. There were only two chairs along side a stack of plates on either side. A meal for two saiyans only, she surmised. She grabbed a plate as quietly as she could with the intentions of stealing just a bit for herself. Surely they wouldn't miss to much.

"Ahm," a familiar carry of vocal tones gruffed from the door, scaring her enough to halt herself in mid-action. Thankfully, it was only Paragus as far as she could speculate. Thoroughly ashamed, she put the plate down immediately and greeted him with a bow of her head to hide any redness she may of had. "No please, help yourself," said Paragus as he pulled a chair out for her. "We would love to have you join us."

Oh, gods who did he mean by us? Thought Nambia fearfully as she took her seat and watched as another one of those tiny alien creatures struggled to move a heavy wooden chair next to her while Paragus took the one on the far end of the table. "So," she started nervously, "Who else is joining us?"

As if she had to ask.

It was almost as if the devil himself walked through the door, with his furrowed brow locking onto the walls and thankfully not her. All the little green servants sped around, making sure he was comfortably set and assured that everything would be ready for him when he wanted it. They pulled out his chair and filled his wine glass full to the brim while also assuring all the food was set and prepared. Nambia was surprised. They didn't even treat Paragus with such respect, but he probably didn't intimidate them as much as Broly did. Apparently they knew how to detect his moods no matter how erratic they seemed to be. This time though, she could read him as well. He bore gritted teeth and darker eyes, his attention on something else entirely as he sat next to her without comment and began to devour his food vigorously as any saiyan would. She sat cross legged, nibbling at her food thankful she had gathered at least something so she wouldn't feel like she was putting her hand in a shark tank. Then, she accidentally tapped his knee with her nervously wiggling foot, making her suck her breath in sharply and heart start pounding out of control. He was silent though, too engrossed by hunger to even realize his surroundings. Breathing a heavy sigh of relief, Nambia finished what was on her plate rather quickly and got up to get another pitcher of wine, only to find that a little green, woman she thought, was already on her way with it.

"I've got it. Thank you," she said very quietly to her with a wink. The alien only stared back at her as Nambia took it from her hands, almost pensive because of her kindness.

"Why thank you, my dear woman," said Paragus as she filled up his glass first out of hospitality.

She then poured a half glass into hers, knowing the effects of the alcohol would be greater on her than they were on them, and then, almost mechanically, Broly's as well. That certainly pulled his attention her way, and out of fear of another encounter, she pretended not to notice at all.

"What are you doing here," he almost growled at her, watching her halt mid sip and slide her eyes to the table before she decided that if she was going to flee to do it right then.

But she wasn't going to run. Not this time.

"The exact same thing you are," she said through a mouthful of whatever it was she was eating. Feeling sly, she popped what she thought was a cracker into his mouth before he had time to make a retort, creating a forced grin to spread across her face as she watched him chew and glare at her. Bulma wasn't lying when she told her that food was the way to shut a saiyan up.

"Broly, this is Nambia."

"I know," he grumbled yet again. Seems he wasn't in the mood for a game of state the obvious.

"We've already...umm... met," she stated as a polite way to clarify the events of earlier that day.

"Excellent," Paragus laughed lowly. Broly scowled and Nambia set her fork down, deciding she didn't like the way Paragus was taking this conversation nor her sitting arrangements.

"I think that's enough for me," she nearly yelped as she bolted up from her seat. She wasn't going to be in that atmosphere any longer. There was something corrosive about it.

She left in a fluster, her second plate, made of mainly light items, half eaten and her stomach yelling at her for not filling it all the way. Her pace was fast, almost a power walk, but she wasn't quite strong enough to carry herself like that yet. Fatigue still plagued her but nowhere near as much as being around those two with no one else around. She was scared and regretful- her mind played tricks on her with every passing shadow. She had to collect her thoughts-had to think. Paragus acted strange in the beginning, but this time it was just irrefutably awkward the way he acted. What did he want from her? From his son? It was all frightfully odd. Her mind would un-fog itself for it was too blended in with the course of the day to partake in any rational thinking. Just when she thought it couldn't get any worse, she heard echoing footsteps gaining on her fast. Panicking, she spun around to a dark empty hall way behind her, confused to what she heard but only for a few seconds until she felt the presence of a wolf.

"Surprise."


	3. Feeding the Flame

A scream jerked itself from the bowls of her throat, mostly transcending between a cry and a yell as she yanked away from he who frightened and captured her. His grip was vice as it ever was, forcing her to stumble as she tried to run again. Her aggravated yells and pleas ripped through the air like blades, cutting the serenity of the night into pieces as he held her by the arm. His fingers dug into her flesh and bone, bruising her like the peach she was as he picked her up and pinned her to the wall, assuring her that she wouldn't be going anywhere any time soon. When she came to terms with that, she halted her futile attempts to fight him and glued her eyes to his chest with the unwillingness to stare into those pits he called eyes.

"Why are you here?" He snarled in her ear as he jerked her violently so she would stare back into his face. He loved the way hers welled when they looked into his- how her spirit wilted under his control. It was invigorating even if she was as insignificant as she was.

"I don't know!" She cried in defense, her chest rising and falling swiftly in hurried breathing. If not careful, she would have an attack and that was what she feared more than him. "Why can't you leave me alone?"

"My father has something planned," he snarled as he let her go. She slid down the brick and used it to prop herself up until she stopped shaking. "And you're part of it," he wrinkled his nose and narrowed his eyes. "I want to know what."

"Ha, and you think he's gonna tell me?" Nambia mindlessly spat out after taking a breath off her inhaler. She could speak again finally but she knew not what to say or had time to say before he pulled her up into a standing position, this time with some care. Shocked by his display of composure, she lowered her tone to a more non aggressive one. "He just asked me to come and I accepted. He hasn't told me anything else, Broly. You've talked to me more than he has," she soothed and crossed her arms, looking away from him with a pout on her face for more comical reasons than any.

"That's cute," he laughed as he redirected her attention with one finger under her chin, watching her skin flush red again.

"Stop," she whispered and quaked. He wasn't supposed to touch her with such gentleness being that she'd become accustomed to the roughness of the way he handled her. There was something wrong here. She could feel it.

"Why?" He beckoned with his ever famous grin.

"Because," she started again, only to find herself at a loss of what to say.

The ice she was walking on was thin, a barely-there sort of crispy with him. She didn't want to exalt his wrath again but she feared what he had in mind at the moment wouldn't have a favorable outcome for her. Her options were growing thinner and thinner with each passing second she stood stationary and allowed him room to progress in his plot. She could always run, but he would catch her if he wanted to. It would be like playing game of cat and mouse, and games she had become jaded of within the day she had been there. Brilliant adventure so far, she said to herself inwardly just before Broly advanced on her again, this time close enough for her to feel his warm breath steam the side of her neck. She clamped her hand around her moistened skin to make his presence go away faster, but the strength of the energy that invisibly whirled around him was to powerful. She jolted away when he touched her. Broly's expression was an open book. She could read it, but not thoroughly being that his actions were based on his ever pending mood, but those eyes that once scared her captivated her now. They were strong and determined, unlike hers that quivered underneath them. He narrowed them in on her- went in for the kill and there wasn't anything she could do about it.

"Because, why?" He laughed darkly, his voice carrying like a buoyant wave upon her ears.

"Because," she started, her face facing the floor as she whispered the words that would surely destroy her inside and out, "I'm scared," she whispered in a hoarse tone that was barely audible.

He cupped the side of her face with one hand, grabbing onto her ear to assure that she didn't look away again, but when she diverted her eyes he had had enough, "Look at me!" He demanded. She obeyed solemnly. "What scares you?" He cooed in his own little way. A tear slid out of her eye, hot like blood as he traversed along the skin of his thumb where he let it stay. She stayed silent, to unnerved to speak or move. "Is it me?" He, again taunted while getting extremely close to her.

"No," she started before she felt her hands smooth across the rough skin of his. Looking dead in his eye, she answered, "It's what you can do to me."

"Useless!" Yelled Paragus as a charred piece of golden metal skittered across the floor. Another result of a failed experiment.

"I told you not to exert that much power into it!" His scientist, a squid-like alien, retorted as the gauge he was holding erupted into a fiery blast of electric power and fire, making it a smoky black color for a few moments before he wiped it away with one of his tentacles.

"If it this piece of junk can't handle me, then it won't even stand a chance against Broly," Paragus growled, his patience with the man wearing thinner by the second. "I've got less than a day to get something that will make Broly completely sub servant to me and this is what you give me?" He snarled and stood, slinging the opposing device that monitored his part of the apparatus across the floor.

"I'm doing everything in my power, Paragus, but I tell you it isn't easy designing anything that can handle power of that magnitude. Broly's power isn't as malleable as you think it is."

Paragus halted his storming at the door, "No! You have one more day!" He growled just before he slammed the door in his face.

He was beginning to panic inwardly with the nefarious sensation that everyone was failing him sinking in like a brick in quicksand. Broly was getting more powerful- more out of hand. His display in front of Kakarot earlier that day was another example of his defiance and how easy it was getting to overthrow the flimsy piece of metal that kept his entire being from erupting into a storm of destruction and disarray. Paragus cogitated his plan, only allowing a slender chance for failure. Then, he remembered the woman. Broly had not taken to her as grandly as Paragus hoped he would, but maybe he could change that. She would be the key instead of the distraction if she could just get close enough. Exactly how was she going to do that in a day though, he pondered as he began walking away from the disappointment. Broly was stubborn. He didn't care for much other than himself, and the saiyan blood coursing through his veins was stronger than most. It wouldn't be easy for her if she tried, but there was something about her that Broly seemed to like, Paragus had observed at the dinner table. He allowed her to feed him despite the indignant expression he cast at her, and though she was shaken by his presence, she didn't cower away like everyone else did. There was a certain fascination in her eyes, and Broly's now that he thought about it. She had never experienced something so powerful, and he had never witnessed anyone weaker than him who didn't display a sensational amount of dread.

She was perfect.

She slammed the door behind her, the echo making the palace alive with the sound of her discomposure. Tears were rolling out of her eyes like raindrops at that point, this time not out of her trepidation over him. Disappointment was growing inside of her like a thunderous storm, quaking her organs with dissatisfaction. She had let him in close enough to know what she was so afraid, an awful thing to do. Her heart was filled with regret bitterness towards herself. She had caved in- let the lion into her soul and he ripped it up. Those eyes. How she hated what they did to her. It wasn't normal.

Nothing about him was normal.

Nambia ran to her bed, tossing off the blood stained shirt to reveal her egg-shell white camisole that she donned underneath it only to find that it was splattered a bit as well. She groaned in frustration and tugged at her hair strong enough to rip out a few strands, then tossed them angrily at the ground. The air around her was hot and pensive, filled with her own temper and emotion. What the hell was she doing here? What in the world made her think this was a good idea? She thought as she made her way around the corner and into an open bathroom conveniently located in her bedroom. Her lip was healing well, she saw as she examined it in the bathroom mirror, gently pulling and tugging on it in each direction to assure that it had stopped bleeding completely. By the time she finished with it, she had bath water running and created a cloud of steam that filled the room full. Her bathroom was pre-stocked with towels and soaps already, almost as if she were staying in a lower class hotel. The place wasn't that homely, she concurred as she surveyed her surroundings. Everything just seemed so crudely put together.

A door opening interrupted her thoughts abruptly, snapping her back into a distant form of reality. Before she inquired who it was, she twisted the water off and tugged a beige colored robe over herself even though she hadn't yet started to prepare for her bath. Instinct told her to stay put and hide, but she seldom listened to herself save for a few spiteful times in her life. She figured, since she had given Broly most of her dignity, that she didn't have much to lose, so she rounded the corner silently. It was dark in her room with only a few weak bulbs to light it, but she made out the distinct, tall shadowing of a male sitting on the wall adjacent to her. Of course, who else it would be, she thought with an eye roll. She thought to confront him, again, but what she was ignorant to how he would use that bit of information she slid to him. For the time being he was comfortably unaware of her presence. A good thing considering that she didn't exactly know why he chose this room, of all of them in the castle, to rest in. Something told her she'd find out soon.

Her lavender colored shirt and hair strands got caught in his peripheral vision, causing him to break his concentration, again, and investigate. Inquisitive, he picked them up and studied them, realizing they were still freshly stained with her scent that became even stronger around the corner. She was there.

"Come out," he demanded in his usual tone. Nambia's face and veins set ablaze with hot adrenaline.

"H-hi," she mumbled from the darkness, stepping out when she realized there would be no way out. Nambia tightened the robe around her, feeling false safety in its fibers as she walked up to him.

"Who the hell let you in?" He growled, his face taking on an uninterested gesture while he tossed her shirt in her direction.

Nambia's eyes widened in disbelief, "Um excuse me? I'm confused. This is my room," her tone matching more a bratty adolescent than a woman her age. Broly's eye's widened for a second, then narrowed, making her reel back a few steps. "But, I'll leave," she complied before making a dash for the open door that he slammed in her face.

"I never said you could leave."

"I need your permission for everything?" She sighed as she squinted her eyes and nudged her forehead against the door with a thud. "Do you have to make everything so... so, arduous?" He grabbed her arm in an attempt to twist her around to him, which she automatically fought. "Stop it! I'm done being grabbed by you!"

"Why? Because you're scared of what I'd do if I got a hold of you?" He laughed in her face, using her own fears to taunt her.

She pushed off of his chest, thrusting herself backwards and into the door where she landed with an oomph, "That's going to leave a splinter," she said to herself in the midst of rubbing her sore back. Pushing off him was like pushing off a brick wall. "You're so...so, ugh!" Screamed Nambia, her hormones once again getting the better of her and sharpening her tongue.

Broly let out a thunderous laugh that would have shattered her eardrums had she been closer to him, "Is that all you can say? Are you..." he started before a sensation caught his undying attention. It was a trickle at first that started in his chest, making it pound in a way that moved upwards into his forehead. Mostly like an electrical buzz, it was unlike anything he'd felt before. It was harder than his father's apparatus, but it held its distinctness timidly as it began to radiate, then stop. The signal was weak, but strong. There was something going on that wasn't good for him. "Did you feel that," he growled, his expression more shocked than anything.

"No," Nambia answered with apprehension. She took this time to start etching herself to the door while he was paying attention to whatever it was that captured him. She had almost made it out when he snapped back to reality, snatching her and dragging her along with him as he walked out into the hallway. "Hey!"

"Shut up," he snarled in a whisper. She opened her eyes to him then. There was something deathly wrong if he was being cautious.

There were the distinct sounds of machinery running in the background she realized when she finally began to listen to what he was hearing. His tug became gentle when she became inquisitive and stopped fighting him and followed him instead. Fear melted into malleable curiosity for her, though for him it was far from anything he wanted hear. Broly had heard those noises before long ago when he was an adolescent. They only lead to misery. He dreaded it, making the power and anger inside of him quell for the time being. His downfall in the past was because of them-because of his father. He had the sharp that he had let these noises happen in the past- had let his father succeed in destroying his freedom. Not this time, he thought with saiyan determination as he sped up, dragging her behind him for some peculiar damning noises grew louder as they got closer to a large door that seemed impossibly heavy to Nambia, but that he opened with ease, of course. The room was well lit as far as she could tell being that Broly's hulking shoulders stood in the way of her vision. He had stayed quiet for a moment, then, she watched something in him change dramatically. He went from the unusual quietness to his natural demeanor as if set off like a bomb. Before she could even catch a glimpse into the ward, he let go of her and slammed the door in her face so hard that she was knocked back onto her bottom, a frequent occurrence around him. In the midst of picking herself up she heard an unearthly scream, followed by Broly's unmistakable laugh and the sound of crumbling stone and hard, loud thuds. Nambia, held her breath, unwilling to contemplate what went on behind that door. Broly had just killed someone. She could feel it unsettling her stomach, and the blood began to ooze from under the door she felt it lurch. It was time to run- to flea until she was impossibly far away from him that she was just a thought, a memory. Heals clacking, she darted down the hallway, unaware of where she was going until she found herself face down on the ground.

"Ouch," she mumbled as she rubbed her sore wrist. She then glanced up, and saw the sky in an open field before her, its beauty untouched by the events inside of the castle. How far had she ran? She wondered while taking her first steps outside. The air was cold and crisp against her legs. She tightened the robe around herself tighter, hoping to find some warmth in it as she wondered about, finding where she had busted her lip earlier that day in a second. Grimacing, she hurried past it into the open and under what she guessed was the planets moon.

She was so far from home.

Sickness began to set in, planting her on the ground facing the stars in the sky. Her plentiful curls bushed out beside her, causing a crimson cascade of hair to float around her head as if she were flying. Nambia straightened herself into a T position to allow the wind to carry her mind away. More than anything she wanted to be home now. No longer did she wish to feel fear pull at her heart or plague her mind. She didn't want pain to cripple her bones or bruise her flesh as it had all day that day. Her innocent thirst for new and adventurous things had defiled her in the time she had been there, and yet, she found herself wanting more. Nambia snapped her eyes open. What if fate had brought her there? To him? In possibility it seemed preposterous, insane really, but she couldn't help but wonder now, as she set herself in a half laying half sitting position, that if he as a saiyan has such infinite strength to do whatever he wished, then why hadn't he? He had used her fear against her, but not fully. The man could kill her if he wanted to but he chose to drag her around instead. Then, it came to her with a gasp.

"Why are you here?" He snarled in her ear as he jerked her violently so she would stare back into his face. He loved the way hers welled when they looked into his- how her spirit wilted under his control. It was invigorating even if she was as insignificant as she was.

"I don't know!" She cried in defense, her chest rising and falling swiftly in hurried breathing. If not careful, she would have an attack and that was what she feared more than him. "Why can't you leave me alone?"

"My father has something planned," he snarled as he let her go. She slid down the brick and used it to prop herself up until she stopped shaking. "And you're part of it," he wrinkled his nose and narrowed his eyes. "I want to know what."

What if he was using her?


	4. The Caged Swan

Blood dripped off of his boot, coating the floor in its rusty presence as he descended down the hallway slowly. He was seething with anger and pride, the two basic saiyan emotions as he stalked his prey into the deep silence of night, his senses attuned to any subtle change in the environment around him. Killing released the hunter in him, but the beast stayed well hidden under his fleshy exterior begging to be let free. Not yet, he would tell it and soothe it with promises. Until the right time it would have to wait.

It didn't like that much. Often it tore at him, ate his insides as it tried to gnaw its way out.

He halted at the opening of the castle, his nostrils catching the faintest waft of her flowery smell. She'd been there recently, at least within the last hour. Scrunching his nose, he peered into the darkness to hopefully find her figure under the starry night sky. She couldn't have gone far being the castle was on a cliff with surrounding woodland area with a mile walk to anywhere and the strength in her human legs were laughable compared to his. Broly ascended into the air for an aerial view, obsessed with finding this woman that insisted on partaking in every aspect of his life. Where ever she was, she was still, and quiet as if she knew he was there. Agitation rising, he dropped, slamming into the earth hard enough to quake it and the tile. He didn't like these sort of games, but just as he was contemplating giving up, he heard the slightest, barely above audible squeal to the north of him. Following it, he also heard a slight shuffle of clothes ruffling in the wind as someone tried to run the opposite direction.

She knew he was coming.

Fighting off the urge to scream, she slid behind a rock that was conveniently sidled on the ridge of the cliff just ahead of the space shuttle. It was dark and quiet in the night sky and she was unable to see that far ahead of her, making the chase even more painstakingly in his favor, so why was she running? It would save time if she just handed herself over but how much sense did it make to give in to a killer? She could feel him close, hear the clack of his metallic boots as he walked even closer in her direction. Nambia sat completely still, waiting for the next few grueling moments to pass by as he stopped just before her hiding spot. Her breath caught in the back of her throat, chocking sobs as she waited for his next move, but he was silent and still as she. A low growl ripped through her ears, as quiet as it may have been, forcing even more fear to churn in her stomach. Her heart began to overreact, forcing more blood to rush through her body and make her breathing labored. Stifling it was nearly impossible for she felt his presence close behind her as if he knew where she was. Resisting the urge to curl into a fetal position, she peaked around the corner, hoping that he wouldn't see her in the dark. Fearing the worst, she was relieved to find nothing but blank, sky and earth behind her, but only for a second.

She felt his breath on the back of her ear, halting her body and heart in place.

"Got you."

Paragus found his scientist dead in a pool of his own blood, just in front of the banged up contraption they were building to control Broly. Wires were strewn about with loosened rock, making lighting dull and weak in the lab. The dead body of the alien fell just under a hanging bulb, making the corpse, and its severed body parts, more ominous. More concerned with the mechanism, Paragus bypassed the corpse, even kicking it out of the way so he could salvage what he could. Shocked was an understatement of his emotions. Indeed, he was utterly furious, but devastated-and fearful. So fearful. Broly had discovered them, destroyed all their progress in one fell swoop. It was nothing more than another crown, but with three orbs in it this time, two of which were salvageable. He took it at arm's length to test if it would still work, and it did, but weakly. Broly had luckily paid more attention to the person constructing it rather than the device itself, another weakness due to his pride. Paragus, however, felt it best to hide it, and himself for the time being. His son's temper was unimaginable, just as his grudges were. For a while, he would have to communicate through the woman, being that she was having more contact with him at the time being despite the fact that they may not get along. Broly was yet to kill her though, a peculiar yet positive sign he noticed. Which means, he may, in some awkward way, be taking a liking to her.

He could only hope.

Then, just as he was ready to leave, a peculiar idea popped into his mind. Perhaps, he wouldn't have to control Broly directly-perhaps, this woman would be more of a use to him than he thought. Gazing down at the ring in his hand, he realized that it could be manipulated easily to fit whoever wore it, a useful feature. If used in secretly, it could be even more powerful. With the element of silent dominance and what not. There was on fatal flaw in that though: The commit was due to hit tomorrow evening, he spat. Fate be against him, he wouldn't have time to construct anything when that planet was destroyed. He would be out of a home for a while and within that time Broly could grow to powerful he realized. It seemed as if he were out of luck for the time being, unless, he though quickly with a wide, hopeful grin, another doctor of his could assist him in such a short amount of time. Tucking the ringlet under his arm, he began his decent into the dark hallway, a new plan storming in his mind wickedly.

He would have his day.

"Put me down, dammit!" She screamed for the hundredth time in his ear. Roughly, he did just that as he plopped her down on a crude mattress in a dark vacant room with one, narrow window at the far end.

It was drafty to say the least, and so dark that she only make his shape out as he swiftly closed the heavy wooden door, concealing her in the darkness and planning to keep her there. Nambia felt panic rise in her throat as she felt herself being chocked by the black, suffocating air. She bolted up, sheets catching her as she stumbled off of the bed and onto her elbows facing the cold tile floor. Ignoring the pain that newly plagued her, she ran for the door, attempting to pry it open but finding that her weak arms were nowhere near powerful enough to budge the heavy wooden obstacle even the slightest. That didn't deter her, though. She felt like a caged bird at that point, frustrated, scared, begging for any sort of attention. Her nails were near bloody and her shoulder sore from ramming and scrapping at the wood in attempts to call enough attention to herself, but she had the creeping suspicion that no one was outside or even close to that door. Her position was desolate more than likely. Nambia halted her fit enough to figure that out, and slid down the door, feeling all the sorts of ethereal creatures of the night creep around her. Her only source of light was the glowing moon that penetrated through the slit in the window- her only source of hope.

The window was much more slender than her frame she found, built like a medieval prison tower, and she wouldn't fit. Not only that, she was on the edge of the cliff the 'palace' was built on top of. If only she could fly, she thought as she wrenched her arm out of the slit and felt her way back to the bed. What did he want with her? Why did he keep her like a pet? What was he going to do to her when he came back-if he came back? Nambia gulped at the last question, holding her fingertips at her collarbone as she let her grim imagination run wild. She almost wished he would forget about her if it weren't for her unsavory situation she found herself in. He was definitely a hunter, and she was entertaining prey apparently. Nambia groaned, inwardly cursing herself and him, then closing her eyes to wish herself far away, back in the arms of safety and the serenity of her home. She closed her eyes, imagining herself with a nice glass of iced tea, looking out over the mountains as the sun set, streaking the sky with orange and purples as the day ended.

"Home is such a lovely place," she whispered to herself as she folded her hands over her stomach and allowed her head to sink into the pillow. Then, into sleep in hopes that her dreams would bring her any sort of solace. Even just the tiniest bit.

He was there to.

His awful laugh and dark eyes, boring down on her as she sat completely vulnerable in the middle of a dark room. There was multiples of him surrounding her, all bearing some sort of snide facial expression whether it be a smirk or a grimace. She tried to hide, tried to escape but he was everywhere, blocking her way to nirvana at every turning stone. Her mouth opened to scream, arms reached around her head as she tried to defend herself, but nothing quelled the storm that is Broly, she knew. He throat swelled up, chocking her as she gasped for air and fell to her knees, and then through glass. It shattered with silence, and reflected herself back at her as she fell into the pit of nothing underneath her. She hated what she saw: eyes dark and skin pale, the epitome of weakness. She was barely even a lamb anymore. In distinctness, she could see that he was draining her energy and wellbeing like a vampire. He, she knew, was playing with her, his prey and trying to suck as much dignity- thus explains her bareness.

She landed at the bottom of the pit, her body crippled but not bleeding. He loomed over her, the gloating expression of winning on his face as he stared back into her eyes. This is how he wanted her to stay-to live. He rose one foot, placing it on the side of her head and began to squeeze...

Three loud bangs woke her and just in the nick of time, thus saving her from the bottom of Broly's boot. She jolted upwards, her breathing labored, but controlled as the door creaked open slowly. Fearing the worst, him, she ruffled the blankets up to her bosom, noting how the light bounced off of them now and then snapped to reality. It was daytime, early morning to be precise. The start of a new day there, and she hoped her last on that dreadful planet.

"Good morning," Paragus greeted from the doorway with three little green people around his feet carrying some sort of cloth that was folded and of similar color to Broly's. Nambia blanched at it, unsure of what to think or say until Paragus intervened again, "I take it you rested well?" he asked. She only continued to stare at what they had in hand, her expression wide with distaste. "Are you at the least bit curious to why I have brought you here?"

Nambia's eyes then snapped to his, wide as a deer in the headlights, "I... I guess," she rambled. "I mean, it's occurred to me once or, uh, thrice."

Paragus then proceeded to her, making her more cautious but his steps were gentle and precisely placed to catch her off guard in her makeshift prison. The three little green people followed him then, presenting to her the clothing and accessories that were soon to be hers, whether she liked it or not. Her heart began to swell and her limbs tremble as she reached for them in the outstretched hands of the servants. It was a silk cloth, or as close as they could get on this alien planet, and red and white in color as Broly's was. She yelped, her hands dropping it and watched as it fluttered to the floor due to its light, airy fabric. She feared the worst, as usual, her body trembling in its entirety as she contemplated what the dress and its matching accessories meant. They were aiming to adorn her in the same material Broly was fashioned in-to make her a female twin. Nambia snapped her head to Paragus, holding her hands in front of her mouth so he wouldn't see how she gaped in horror.

"What is going on here?" She demanded, jumping out of bed and stumbling over the servants as she did so. The golden accessories scattered along the floor, one under her bed. It looked to be a tiara she noticed, but hated none the less.

Paragus retrieved the crown from under her bed and held it head height so she could take a long gander at it, "Nothing you should be afraid of, my dear," he laughed, then approached her again, "Am I mistaken, or is it not every earth girl's dream to be a 'princess'?"

"Get to the point," she demanded, her tone growing anxious.

"You," he started while trying to articulate a believable lie, "You have something that I've never seen in a woman. Something that is... taming and valiant, but oh so innocent. Broly sees it too, which is why he can't stand to be with or without you."

Nambia laughed sarcastically, setting Paragus on edge, "Pfft, that's laughable!"

Thinking quickly, Paragus retorted, "Why else would he drag you around? Lock you up? I admit it that it was chance that I found you, but I took it- a shot at fate and now you are here."

"Yes here, locked up in a cold room all night waiting for your nut job of a son to," she paused, her anger oddly frayed, the words she lost dancing on the tip of her tongue.

"To what?" Paragus mused, circling her and placing the crown on the top of her soft, curled, red hair, "If he resented you, you would not be alive right now," he assured her, catching her breath as she chewed on that thought. While she was still in deep thought, he pursued her sensitivity, "You have a choice: a queen or a prisoner."

Hours passed since her confrontation with Paragus and still she found herself trapped by an invisible force in that cell. The door was open wide to a long corridor full of opened windows that let the evening sun bleed into the palace, and with no one in sight, she changed from her dirty clothes to the dress that Paragus had brought to her. It was white and clingy, with a split in the front that stopped just above her knee cap to show off her rather slender legs. Her bust was well accentuated as well, but to the point where she was comfortable enough to keep her arms where they were and not crossed over them. She slipped on the ringlets that were attached to the crimson cloak so it would follow in direction of her hands as she gestured, giving her a more imperial ensemble she supposed. Nambia couldn't help but smile somewhat for she had not felt as attractive or important in quite some time now that she thought of it. Truly though, she was plenty of both. She then proceeded to grasp the ringlet in her hands, staring at her reflection in the sapphire orbs before she proceeded to attempt to adorn it.

Footsteps from down the hall interrupted her daydream, making her quickly hide the circlet beneath her pillow and blankets. She had a creeping suspicion of who it was, but when she tried to gather up the bravery to face him, she froze in realization that the moment she'd been fearing had finally come. Broly had come back for her to do whatever his bidding was. She felt her blood run cold as ice. Turning was the hardest part of it all, other than staring blankly into those cold, black eyes as they stared at her. At first he pursued her as normal, aggressively with a male dominating stare, then, he stopped as if he were stunned. She watched patiently as his eyes assessed her and his mouth dropped slightly, almost causing her body to flush red then white when he assumed his normal glare. Though for a moment there, she was sure she stunned him in a way that every man is when he sees something he likes, and with that she assured herself that she had at least one card left in the game.

"Who opened the door," he sneered, still eyeing her from head to toe with a more confused that lustful stare.

She had to think of a lie, fast. Knowing that he and his father were not the closest of family made her resent the truth, "I don't know," she began. "I just woke and it was open," she stated as stably as she could manage. Judging by the stare on his face, he had taken her lie.

He then proceeded to circle the room, his crown glowing green as he stared her down, assessing her, "Don't," he mocked with a snark laugh and smirk curling her stomach.

Nambia swallowed the hard lump in her throat, "Don't what?"

"Lie!" He yelled, making her squint and tremble.

"I'm not," she, yet again, lied, making him even more furious.

"You're awful at it," he told her, this time with his voice raised but just outside of yelling. "I see it every time in your eyes," he growled, closing the gap between them, by which she immediately created a new one.

"You can see nothing in my eyes," she challenged. When he did not retort, but held his steady, invisible grasp on her, she continued backing up towards her bed, "In fact, you don't see me at all!"

He shook his head in what she couldn't figure out was amusement or disgust but answered her comment with, "What are you talking about, woman?"

Truly, she hadn't the slightest idea but kept rambling, "I don't know, I guess I'm crazy! Getting your freedom and will power taken away will do that to ya!" Was her best defense, and she was starting to believe it.

Something inside of him changed at that moment she watched him go from angry and sadistic to hurt, or what his version of hurt would be. He dropped his arms, his face contorted in a confused scowl that was aimed for at something inwardly and she knew it. Her guard dropped, and she thought to reach out to touch him only to have him reel back in a defensive position before she could do so. Nambia dropped her hand, and folded them at her waist as she gazed at him to try to solve the puzzle that was his emotions. He gazed back at her for a moment, her anger faded by memories that would be rather best forgotten, but he hid them from her. He didn't want her help.

"You have no idea."

AN: All credit to my cover picture goes to art/FREEDOM-163562315


	5. Breakthrough

That night replayed in his mind like a broken record, clawing and scratching while omitting its deafening noise that tormented him. It was his source of insanity- the well that drenched him in anger and misery.

And she broke the seal.

He had never walked away from someone. Never. But her words pierced him as the dagger did when he was an infant. Just hours old he was, and still his mind captured every ounce of pain and confusion that it could suffice in that first stage of life. Those nights would live in infamy-drive him to rage. To kill. His father's false dominance over him just put the icing on this bloody cake that was his life.

Then, this woman waltzes in with her plan to do god-knows-what that usually resulted in being in his way. He grimaced, his nose scrunching up and a string of unsavory thoughts circulating in his mind that made his ringlet glow slightly. How he hated it. Its high pitched ring. It's annoying constricting powers that never failed to make his body feel as it is about to burst at them seems with power. He fastened his pace, hoping that he could escape it was he wound staircases, anger rising bubbling in his veins like lava that exploded into a concoction of interwoven emotions inside of him. Memories flooded uncontrollably inside his subconscious making it hard to concentrate as the windows mindlessly passed by with their blinding light penetrating his mind. His breathing became labored, the ring lighting an even brighter green as he fought himself internally. Sweat beaded off of him. The monster tore at his insides, clawing them to shreds as it fought against his exterior. His heart pounded into oblivion, eyes squeezed shut and hands digging into his hair. He was on the boundaries- the pushing limit. Almost free.

"Broly?" Said a frail feminine voice from behind. Instant concentration broken.

He didn't bother to turn. "What?!" His mouth snarled before his mind could capture meaningful cognitive faculties again.

She started to choke on words, but then rediscovered her strength when she realized he wasn't going to look at her, "Are you alright? What's going on?" She then reached to touch with the tip of her fingers, realizing that he was drenched in sweat and hot. Almost as if he'd been out in the sun all day. That was when she realized that there was something more going on than he let on. "Seriously! What is with you? Why do you do this?"

"Do what?!" He demanded to know, this time turning around to face her and stare her down as he usually did. Only this time there was a bit more of determination in her golden eyes as they stared back. Perhaps locking her up all night did drive her mad.

Nambia threw up her hands in exasperation, "This! Why do you shut people out? Why do you shut the world out! What in the gods name are you so afraid of?" She yelled finally, throwing her hands and pushing on him as she did so as if she forgot who she was against.

Before she could even blink she found herself on the ground at least five feet away, her sore back and hips reeling from the impact. He had slapped her. Hard. She rubbed her jaw, felt it swell from his knuckles and stumbled upwards to face him again, fear rattling her bones to the marrow but this time she refused to give up. Trepidation was irrelevant in this situation, but still, as she locked eyes with him again, she found it creeping back in while she was attempting to articulate her thoughts. Her teeth chattered and eyes water from the pain and other emotions that swelled in her but she faced him again, holding her jaw and surely looking pathetic, as his smirk indicated, but she wanted this fight. She wanted to win.

That was until he grabbed her by the collar, pulling her upwards to look into his eyes.

"Let's get one thing straight here," he whispered in her ear, "I fear _nothing_." He then dropped her, watching as she gasped for breath and held her throat that was sure to have bruised even from his easiest grasp.

"Point…" she then coughed and wheezed a bit, "well made," she gasped. This fight wasn't just over yet. She wasn't ready to give up, as much as she should. Turning to lay half on her back and half on her elbows she stared him dead in the eyes and asked, "So what did you mean then?"

He furrowed his brow, "When?"

"When you said that I have no idea."

He shook his head, his grimace dropped, "Forget it."

"No!" She answered. "Something is wrong here and I want to know what. Why did you get upset when I rambled back there? Why am I here?" She started to get frantic and moved into a sitting position as she tried to calm herself. "What do you want? What does your psychotic dad want?"

"My father wants power! _My_ power!" He snapped back at her. "You're here to waste space. To be a damn twist in his hands," he then lowered his tone to a low growl and stared at the floor where he intended to burn a hole, "Just like me," he whispered with spitfire.

Nambia's eyes widened. Suddenly, she understood the source of his strife.

"Then," she started as she cautiously approached him again and touched the gold of his arm band. He stared at her, this time with trivial anger rather than directed, "We aren't so different after all."

* * *

><p>Paragus was confident now though still avoiding his son at all costs until he was certain that the woman had dawned the crown he gave her. There wasn't much time left until the comet would hit he assured himself as he stalked upwards upon the beaten path that lead to his mirror emporium- the place where he spied on the universe. It was now reaching midday and the sun was upon them, beating its heat directly onto the earthen soil. Paragus reached down and swept a bit at his fingertips, imagining how Earth was going to feel when they landed to take it over. He was excitable at this point, rubbing the soil between his fingertips as he thought of the destruction of the prince he so loathed and the domination son he loved, but sought to control through a middle-woman. She had almost caught him, he scorned-almost caught on to his charade, but he had stifled her for the moment, or so he hoped. The door to the emporium slammed shut behind him, concealing him in darkness as lectured himself. Broly was still dangerous, still a time bomb. If this randomly chosen female didn't withstand him then he was at a loss.<p>

It was an ill thought out plan- one made under heavy pressure.

"Oh Paragus," the deep voice of an older man called from the top of the stair case midst the crystal mirrors. "I thought you would never get here."

"Krunos," Paragus answered, his voice slicked with mirth and assurance. He ascended the stair case, taking the side of his best scientific mind and friend for twenty seven years.

"How did my invention fair? Bested the squid's no doubt?" The white haired man asked, his smile cocky and bearing what resembled a vampire fang.

"I am uncertain so far. Ever since Broly destroyed my lab I've been weary of his presence so I've…"

"Running from your own son?" Krunos interrupted with a laugh. "I'll admit it when you asked my assistance to construct his and hers apparatuses I thought it odd, if not humorous, but this is a whole new level, Paragus." The old man then gestured to the glass that showed them images from the heart of the galaxy, his target focus the comet Camori as it sped towards them with its radiant flashing colors streaking the very edges of the universe. His grey eyes slid over to Paragus, who by all means seemed overjoyed by the sight, "I have solemn news, my friend," he started.

"What?" Paragus snapped, now very aware, and frightful, that there is something wrong.

"Our dearest comet seems to have passed through an electrical storm late last night. It's weak and slowed down. I'm afraid it will disrupt our timing just a bit."

"How much is a _bit,_" Paragus snapped, his tone laced with distraught.

"Precisely four weeks, save for the chance another disruption were to occur."

Paragus's eyes widened with disbelief. He was hoping maybe hours or a day or so, but an entire month could prove costly. Vegeta was growing weary of the wait, and he tired of charades everywhere he looked. This planet was horrid- a battle scared mess of a wasteland that he had been on for too long. Insanity would take him if Broly didn't. He tightened his fists behind his back as he glared with frustration at the delayed comet, the very tie that held everything together. Now it had loosened, possibly destroying every chance he had. He felt as if he had slipped on ice and caught himself in mid fall and was in anticipation to see if he could pull himself back up or fall straight through the barrier that kept him a float. He sighed, his thoughts more or less on Broly now and how exactly this was going to affect their already strained relationship as father and son. It was an impossible battle without the apparatus, he knew. Broly's power was unimaginable. Harnessing it was his only chance, but now, the delaying of the comet may threaten that.

"On the upside," his comrade started in hopes of cheering his friend up, "I can see anything in the universe I want to in here. So, perhaps not all is entirely lost?"

Paragus shifted his gaze at Krunos, his attention now fully caught, "What are you implying?"

"Only that I can monitor your son and the progress he is making with this female of yours," said Krunos with another fangy smile. "It's not much, but it is something."

"No," answered Paragus with a devious smirk all his own. He turned to his friend, a dark shadow glazing his face, making him looking even more ominous, "It's perfect."

"The path to a saiyan's heart is through his stomach!" Bulma Briefs once told her.

Boy was she right.

Perfect words of wisdom from the woman who had wedded and had children by the very prince of the lot of them.

As Nambia watched Broly guzzle down his breakfast she couldn't help but wonder how food seem to take all the stress away and tear them from the world around them as if it had never existed. She sat with her own plate, barely touched and getting cold just observing him with one hand supporting the un-bruised side of her face. She was no longer a threat, or even a nuisance, and how exactly she managed that she would never understand. Supporting a common ground may be helpful, she reckoned, but what common ground did she exactly touch base with? Apparently now they were both puppets in Paragus's hands, and though she understood her place, his was still a mystery. She twirled a tomato around with her fork as she thought, blankly staring at him without real meaning. In reality she had zoned out, her eyes staring blankly at an open space that he just happened to occupy, but in her mind there was a torrent of thought that kept her busy and away from the real world and her hunger.

"If you aren't going to eat it I will," he stated after he swallowed what was left on his tenth plate, or what she assumed was his tenth. Truthfully, she had lost count.

"Go for it," she yawned, sliding the plate his direction and watching again as he devoured it in amazement. "Guess food doesn't go to waste here," she laughed while observing the dinner table that was littered with scraps and bones. Thus the results of a saiyan breakfast, but which he deemed light.

He smirked, shoved the plate aside and propped his ankles up on the table to symbolize contentment as he digested his 'light' breakfast. Nambia thought to shove them off, disrupt him again for old times' sake but she was enjoying herself somewhat for the first time she arrived on the planet. She was so tired though. Her night had been littered with insomnia and bad dreams and the morning wasn't exactly a hearty wake up either. The bruise had jolted her enough though and as she touched it again she wondered how she survived that. He had exalted enough force to throw her back. Fate be implied, he didn't snap her neck. Paragus's warning had rung in her head since then: "If he resented you, you wouldn't be alive right now." She had to wonder if he really did detest her, or if Paragus had conjured an illusion for her to be trapped in once again.

"What?" He asked in a normal tone this time, one eye propped open and hands behind his head as if he were trying to nap and she had done something to disturb him.

"Sorry," she blushed, "I guess I zoned out there for a minute," she breathed, her heart picking up speed in a much different way now.

He didn't do much other than grunt and ruffle his shoulders as he tilted his head back and resumed whatever stressful exercise he was partaking in beforehand. It was then when he was unaware and uncaring of her presence that Nambia began to really examine him in a more carnal manor-more as a man and not a killing machine. She had to admit that she did like what she saw, it even brought a girlish smile to her lips, but she restrained herself. Her entire life had been based around being a lady. Crossing her T's and dotting her I's. Only allowing her eyes to wonder over her husband, but she hadn't one. She let out a breath and crossed her legs, the split in her dress raising to mid-thigh now by which she corrected automatically. Be it a curse or a blessing, but she couldn't offer anyone but the one to gander upon her, yet here she was doing it. He was a handsome man, she admitted to herself, this time with a steady face, but once that had more issues than she could ever hope to even try to straighten out. For now she would relish the peace until she could leave the planet and get on with her life and he with his. It would be a happy ever after in a weird way.

So why did that seem so hard to think?

In the time she had come to know him she found herself both interested and frustrated with him and his mysterious aggression that seemed to outweigh any saiyan's. She wanted to know the exact source- the series of cause and effect events that lead to this shell of fury that he surrounded himself with. Though, she hadn't the courage to ask him yet. Sure, now she was tolerated and a part of the surroundings but that didn't seem like much to her. It was a step to him though. Throughout his life he had never tolerated anyone save for those he was forced to. Nambia was somewhat aware of that but her full understanding of it was vague at best. As she stared at he who was content in a chair she wondered just how he would react if he would actually attempt to understand his situation even more so and harder than she did beforehand. It made her nervous just thinking about it and she wanted to stay on his good side more than anything, or at least on the line where she seemed to be at the moment. If she played her cards right she could, so she began to build her deck strategically. She tossed out all cards that had failed her in the past, only refreshing herself with the ones that could handle an onslaught if need be. No more being timid. No more fear. Just victory.

With a trembling hand she reached out and touched his golden boot that was surprisingly smooth and hard as steel. _These things must weigh a ton, _she thought as she moved her hand over the sapphire-blue gem and finally the cloth of his pant, feeling his muscular leg as she did so. Broly stirred, shifting ankles and forcing her to withdraw her hand, thus her gentle touch. She then, gathered courage to stand after gaining balance in her rubbery legs and take the plate that was just to the side of him away for an excuse to get close and _accidentally _brush up against him. It was all purely so she would blend in even more, so he would get accustomed to her touch being that the amount of possibilities that could unfold with her in them was endless regarding him. Again, he shifted, this time with his eye sliding open to observe her and what she was doing. Knowing that he was watching her, she felt her face flush red and scurried off to conceal it. When she returned, it was no better.

He was waiting now, head propped up in the palm of his hand and another one of his famous smirks planted well on it. She halted at the difference in the atmosphere. It was thicker- more intense. She held her breath, almost as if she thought there was no oxygen in the room and stopped where she stood, the air chilling her skin but something much worse raising the chill bumps on it.

He stood, his chair screeching implausibly loud as he did so and to her horror...

He narrowed his eyes on her, his smirk now a smile as he slowly began to walk in her direction.


	6. The Elusive High

**AN: I want to express how excited I am for the next chapter and implore you all to leave a review for me to get my spirits going3**

**So any song suggestions for this chapter?**

* * *

><p>She froze with an achromatic stare on her face, her body quivering as it had before in all her previous encounters. The room that had been so warm in the beginning began to be chilled, or perhaps it was just her blood. Where had all her courage went? She wondered as the gap between them became increasingly smaller and her legs too weak to do anything about it. What of her pep talk of victory and conquering inner demons? It had all gone to waste, or so it seems. She backed herself up against a wall, crossing her arms and pretending stare out of the window silently as her heart thudded in her throat. He was upon her now and had long been in her personal space with a hint of mischievousness cemented upon his toothy grin. Nambia held her ground, her eyes glued to the outside world where the sun was gleaming upon this distant planet and the alien birds were at their play, even watching and singing in the window as he advanced on her. A rough hand pinched her chin between his thumb and fore finger, gently tearing her vision from such a sight to the cold pits he called eyes. Her eyes blinked back any welling tears that fear may have brought up and she stiffened her lip and tied her arms tighter across her chest. She didn't know what he was going to do. His actions were too erratic to predict for her. He began to lean down, bringing his head to her level and lingering his mouth over hers so closely that she could feel his breath.<p>

Her thoughts went wild, her breathing capricious.

He stayed that way for what seemed like hours, his grin widening as she began to twitch.

She wished he would hurry to do whatever….

Or she feared she may make a fool of herself.

"Watch where you're going," he laughed darkly in her ear. He then let her go, and Nambia felt as if she may drop to the floor.

Her lip began to quiver and she watched him leave the room with an even larger ego than what he came in with. The man was an enigma to her. She couldn't understand him and as she thought of the proximity they were just in, she felt her knees become rubbery and fall out from underneath her. He was so close to her. Too close, in fact. In the day that she had known him he had been in contact with her before, but nothing like that. Nambia brought her hand to her forehead and felt the sweat bead off of it. Could he see that, she wondered? Would it have mattered at all? What would become of her now that she he had made such an obvious bound with him? Would he peruse her in more carnal regards or would she be ignored? Was she safer now or in danger? What would become of her within the next twenty four hours?

Nambia squinted and pinched her brow. _Too many questions, not enough answers, _she told herself.

She didn't even know if she could get any answers from him anyway. The man was an enigma to her, a maze of anger and deception, but why though? She couldn't help but wonder again of what made him a slave to his emotions, especially his rage and why she always found herself caught in the middle of it all. Though she had to admit he did just display a great amount of intelligence, acting as if he had observed every little thing that she found bothersome. If he had persisted she didn't know what she would have done, but if he stayed like that it would have driven her crazy.

Deciding on getting some much needed fresh air, Nambia opened one of the windows by pushing outwards on them, allowing the sun and air to bombard her sensitive senses before she became used to it. She pushed far enough to allow herself enough room to slip out and when she decided that she would be safe and on solid ground she attempted to do so. Though, she hadn't snuck out of a window since she was sixteen, and her cat-like ability to do so was lacking. Instead of gracefully slipping through the window seal and landing on her feet, she stumbled out, catching and ripping her dress and falling on her face, gaining a mouth full of pine needles and dirt. She swore loudly, her scuffled up wrists sore from impact and her dress split now at an inch or so above her knee.

"Hey, are you ok?" She heard Trunks ask from above her.

Looking up and past the glare of the sun, she spotted the teen floating just above the edge of the cliff she was dangling on.

"No," she admitted with some frustration, "I'm stuck."

"Then here, let me help," he insisted while offering her his hand that she took without a second thought. If Broly had offered her a hand she would have been to hesitant to take it- too scared to think of what he would do to her. Smiling as Trunks lifted her up into the air, she found that she had missed the feeling of security in the presence of a man.

"What are you doing out here anyway?" He asked.

She froze completely, her fingers tightening on his shoulder as she reflected on that morning, "Just…. Exploring," said Nambia. It wasn't a complete lie at least.

"Pretty dangerous place to be exploring don't you think?" Asked the purple haired teen with a raise of his eyebrow.

"I didn't know it was that close to the edge," she defended. She then glanced down at all of the trees they were so far above, amazed at the ability to fly but hanging on even tighter in fear that she may fall.

Trunks laughed, "Don't worry. I've got you. You're safe."

'_For once,'_ she thought to herself as they neared the ground, their destination a thick woodland area full of alien wildlife that didn't seem so different from that of Earth. From there, they walked, conversing upon the arrangements they had made within the last twenty-four hours and details of the future that they were hesitant upon thinking about. Broly never left her mind though, but he also never came up in their conversation. She didn't feel it appropriate to speak of him to someone who never experienced him like she had so far and Trunks didn't seem to care much for him either. The bruise on her cheek was another story all together though. He questioned her briefly about it, in fear that she may be uncomfortable with a full interrogation, but accepted her story of yesterday's fall as a very lax excuse even though he suspected something more sinister all together. As they continued walking, now in silence, he felt the need to question her even more, this time on a deeper level.

"Hey that Broly guy isn't bothering you is he?"

Nambia's eyes widened at his name, "No, why?" She asked too quickly. Trunks raised a brow, but shrugged.

"I dunno…. He just seems weird to me. And, I haven't seen either of you around here much. Just wanted to make sure you were ok."

Nambia sighed, "I'm fine. Aside from a few scrapes and bruises, I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" Trunks persisted, rubbing the bruise on her face that was almost purple in hue. He furrowed his brow.. "Nambia is there something going on?"

"No," she snapped, pulling away from in frustration. She just wanted to forget the details of the past now and saw no reason. When she calmed, she continued her answer, "No…. No, I'm just exhausted. I didn't get much sleep last night."

"Well…. Ok," he accepted though he was still skeptical of her answer. "You do realize that we could be here for a while."

Nambia sighed, "I know."

"And you feel safe knowing that?"

She halted, contemplating the answer while holding back a face of despair, "Yeah, I guess I do," she ended up saying though she wasn't quite sure how true it was.

Trunks put his hand on her shoulder, smiling down at her through his long purple hair and nodded, "I'm here if you need me ok. So is Goku and Gohan, and Dad."

Nambia smiled back, dropping her guard if only to blush instead, "Thanks," she whispered, her heart enlightened by a new presence inside of her.

It was straight back into hell.

She calmly stalked past the hulking black haired saiyan as he was sitting on the front steps of the castle. No words. No acknowledgement. Her stride was equal to that of every other and her breathing halted only slightly when he glanced her way.

But it was only a glance.

He seemed to have something on his mind. Something…different, she thought as she examined him for that brief second. His face was not contorted in anger or any sort of strife but held in itself with a hint of worry, a very uncommon emotion she was sure. She wondered if she should be a bit apprehensive as well then. Seemingly if a saiyan of his caliber had found something that bothered him so profusely that it made him anxious it could be a potential threat to her as well. Nambia folded her hands and proceeded to walk about aimlessly, her thoughts conquering her better judgment as they did for the most part. She smoothed her hand against the rip in her dress, making it fall flat against her thigh and she began to wonder: Why had she dawned that garment?

She couldn't say exactly but she had to reckon that it was over what Paragus had propositioned to her.

_To be a slave, or a queen._

Again she lost her breath, contemplating what glorious mess she had fallen into. She then glanced back, holding an ominous stare at the saiyan who had paid her no mind when she crossed him this time. The same man that not only a day ago had brought her to the breaking point with repetitive harassments- the same man that had almost kissed her that morning. Nambia shook her head vigorously throwing that morning from her thoughts. She wasn't sure what he was doing that morning, and as much as she wanted to believe, with pure flattery, that he intended to kiss her, she couldn't. As far as she could see, she was stuck in a game of cat and mouse with him. Kissing her would only be a trap, a twist in the game. Shuttering, she turned again and leaned against the window seal to gaze out at the glorious afternoon sun as it arose above the sleepy horizon. So queer, she thought, that a different sun in a different galaxy could be so similar to the one she watched rise over her veranda each day she was on Earth. Nambia sighed for home. How she missed it so very, very much. She thought to close her eyes- to wish herself far away, but something told her that it wouldn't do any good because when she opened them again, she would still be there.

Quite sad really.

She didn't want to risk the heartbreak. At least not for right now.

The clacking of metallic footsteps eventually made their way her way and she could only huff. She knew it was coming sooner or later, but as she turned to greet him in whichever mood he was in, he walked past her, only slightly bumping into her and paying her no mind as he did so. Shocked, she watched as his hulking figure descended down the hallway without even a look her way. Not even a subtle flicker of his eyes her way. She stood, mouth hung open and almost insulted. How could he dare ignore her, she thought with a fluster of heat hitting her hard? So used had she become to his contact, no matter how violent or annoying it be, that acting as if she were invisible was indeed insulting. Instead of feeling little now, she felt as if she had reached a few heads high on the social standard. Driven by a burst of cockiness, and an absurd idea that she could turn the tables, she chased after him, her bare feet slapping against cold stone harder and harder as she neared him. He kept silent, his attention directed in front of him, but he heard her and smiled. Ignoring a woman was a way to make her enraged, he knew from his own personal experience. Grinning, he prepared to make her look a fool again, if not just for playful banter this time.

She was now upon him, her own grin and laugh escaping her throat as she lunged for his arm, only to have him yank it out of her grasp, followed by his own playful nudge that sent her skidding across the stone floor. Her stop was brought upon by the adjacent wall that she emphasized with an _oomph _as her back it the stone. He stared down at her, his gloating grin quickly forming around a cackle that she could only guess was his laugh. It filled the room quickly with its loud vibrations that she could feel in her core. Ruffling her hair, she stood, and gathered herself only to break into a little giggle herself. She couldn't understand what had happened between the last times they spoke and then but she didn't care. It was nice to let her walls fall around him now even if it were just for a tiny bit. Though she was still unable to predict him, she felt safe for the time being despite the fact that he could very well be planning to throw another obstacle in her way before she could blink. Opening her eyes, she saw that the worry on his face and been replaced by a sort of saiyan smile and even though she wasn't entirely positive she was to blame, she found herself mirthful that he had other emotions.

"Looks nice on you," she laughed as she used her index fingers to indicate the smile on his face.

He lost it immediately, and began to spread glare her way only to resort back to the smile he had before, his eyes closed and arms crossed as if he didn't want to admit she was correct.

Simple, she thought.

So simple it was to turn the tides.

So why didn't she before?

Nambia's smile eventually faded as silence cascaded between them again, her thoughts retreating back into her normal state of mind that consisted of cautious behaviors. With a quiet smile on her lips now, she wrapped her arms around herself as if she had caught a chilling breeze, her eyes refusing to meet his once again. It was too alien to feel anything other than her thudding heart that pumped possibly lifesaving adrenaline through her body around him, but now she was feeling something entirely different. Her heart beat still rose slightly, but only because he was putting off an entirely different energy now. One she wasn't accustomed to at all.

"Nightfall. Meet me here the second the sun goes down," he demanded in his usual tone, only this time he smoothed his finger underneath her chin, softly pulling her attention to his. Noticing his fangy smile, she gave her attention to him despite how he made her shiver in so many ways. "I have something to show you so don't keep me waiting."

And like that he was gone, striding away as if nothing had happened. She was left with the feeling of his finger underneath her chin radiating her mind, almost as if it was relishing gentleness from him but she spat. Saiyans couldn't be gentle for no reason, or so he had shown her. She wondered of what he was planning and whether or not it would sour or sweet or a crude mixture of both. Ruffling her hair, she pondered and worried of what he was speaking of but felt even more hesitant to think of what would happen say she didn't show. Nambia shook the thought off, only to realize that she would end up being exposed to whatever he needed to show her no matter if it was against or with her will. She blushed, flushing hot red as she pondered so many different experiences that caused many different types of bubbles to stir in her stomach and a wide smile that spread across her.

Gods she was being stupid.

"No, no, no," she whispered as she wiped the idiocy from her face. "Not again."

Evening turned to dusk fairly fast for Nambia and as she drew nearer to the moment when she would uncover whatever Broly wanted to show her she found herself growing more anxious and curious. Mostly, she was unable to render any salvageable conscious though, and even her motor skills were impaired as she found herself being pushed aside by Vegeta in the low lit palace corridor as he was ranting to Paragus about the super saiyan he had been lured there with.

"If you can't tell me where he is then why drag me to this god forsaken planet!" Yelled Vegeta in his usual huff. Paragus was close behind him, pleading when he could.

"H-he must be moving around sire, anticipating our movements. I will order my scouts to be stealthier in the future but I beg you for just a little more time!"

Vegeta snapped his cold black eyes at Paragus, and raised his voice to a tone that even made Nambia's adrenaline throttle a bit. She swallowed and turned away, pretending not to hear any more of their conversation.

"I want that man's head on a platter by the end of tomorrow Paragus or I will blow this palace to kingdom come! I am tired of waiting!"

_Seems as if patience is a key virtue in all saiyans,_ Nambia sarcastically thought to herself as she wrapped her arms around her chest and began to embrace the chill of the night sky. Dark would be coming soon, she reminded herself. The time to unveil his secret, or what she assumed was, would be soon. Nambia shuttered. Did she truly want to know? She couldn't say exactly, but her emotions were in a huff right now and didn't agree with her logic at all. Her eyes fell to the floor and her little white, bare feet that were cold to the touch. Then, they examined the purple and blue streaks of the sky as it hovered between daylight and night time. The chirping birds had retreated for the night, and the air was damp and chilling yet so much crisper than that of Earth. As she walked, she touched the tips of her fingertips to the cold stone, contemplating if this would be the last thing she would ever feel. She swallowed hard and tried to push the thought out of her head, hoping for the best of the situation to come. Never was she the one to pray, but she did as she stalked to their meeting place, and she did so fiercely. Her nerves were a mixture of fear and excitement-her spine tingling with the concoction.

He was there waiting for her like he said he would and as she neared him, the black of the shadowy night drifting away, she saw that something about him was different. There was something more wildly, more intense in his eyes that she swore had changed colors and as she drew upon him, she found they had.

Sapphire blue.

The irises in his eyes had made a dramatic turn with his entire persona.

This wasn't a caged bird any longer.

This was an unleashed beast.


	7. Secrets of the Mirrors

She stared at him with the upmost curiosity while at the same time questioned if she should restrain herself from speaking or taking another step. All the while, he stood, arms crossed and gloating smile upon face as always, and as she was also at a loss for what to say.

"Your hair is blue!" She blurted out with eyes wide. "I…I mean it's _a-actually blue_!"

He smirked and uncrossed his arms, "Is that all you have to say?" He laughed, then took her by the hand and led her to one of the more open windows around. When she hesitated, he retaliated, "What?"

"I don't trust you," she responded with dark eyes and a quick yank of her hand out of his.

"You have nothing to be afraid of."

Nambia laughed shortly, "You haven't quite proven that yet. I may not be as shy of you anymore but that doesn't mean I'm willing to follow you anywhere."

Broly rolled his eyes and sat on the edge of the window with one arm cocked upon his raised knee, "You are being ridiculous," growled the saiyan male whose eyes shown like bright sapphires through the darkness, "If I wanted to actually hurt you, you would not be alive right now," he told her in his usual growling manner.

His stinging words caused Nambia to swallow hard, "So I heard."

Again, he held out his hand, "Take it," he nearly demanded.

Nambia shook with trepidation but slowly reached her hand out to his, grasping onto his large thumb and squinting as he slowly closed his fingers over hers. His hand was warm and vice and it drew her closer without much effort on his part. Only then did she truly take the time to realize how strong he was and how small in comparison was she.

"You promise you won't hurt me?" She whispered as she stared at his rather large hand encased over hers.

"Yes," he growled, setting her on edge.

Nambia gathered her strength, "Okay, lead the way then," she breathed despite the ringing voice in her head that told her this was a bad idea.

He made quick work of scooping her up for to him she weighed about as much as a feather floating upon a sea breeze. Nambia swaddled her arms around his neck as he squeezed through the open space and leapt into the arid night sky as if he were a proud eagle that just spread his wings. Her eyes squeezed shut on their own, unwilling to look down at the open space beneath her feet as they arose. It was nothing but horizon and the tops of the hundred foot trees that grew more miniscule with each passing second, but it was enough to make her realize her fear of heights. She covered her eyes manually then, feeling his chest rumble from what she could suppose was a chuckle at her expense.

"Where are we going?" She asked in a muffled voice that was barely audible as they ascended into the sky above the clouds. Peering down was a mistake for she found the tree lines becoming insignificantly smaller underneath them, the sight forcing her to dig her nails into his skin. "Where are we going?" She asked again, though this time a bit more frantic.

"Close your eyes again," he said, and when she did she heard the slight electrical buzzing of a force field being brought up around them, locking in air and keeping out the elements.

They passed through the upper atmosphere of that planet, which was generally the coldest area. His shield protected them from the chill and hail as they passed through the clouds aimlessly it seemed. She had her eyes squeezed shut for most of the time and her face buried in his chest as if it would protect her from falling in the case that he let her go. That was not his intent, however, and to prove it so he began to make his decent into the ruins of the city he had destroyed prior to the creation of 'New Planet Vegeta'. He landed, and she plopped out of his arms with her feet hitting the ground first and becoming wobbly from an odd sense of jet lag. She then made a space between them as if it were instinct and began to feel the frigid breeze pass all around her. Nambia then turned to look at him, finding that he was staring out over the ruins that crippled the land. It was truly a horrendous sight. Dilapidated buildings scattered about as if they had toppled over like dominoes, rubble that seemed to fill the street that was once thriving with life. Cars littered the area with the ancient remnants of daily life all about them as if its destruction happened suddenly. Nambia held her breath. She could only imagine what it was like before everything that transpired occurred, but she didn't want to imagine who had reduced it to rubble.

"Did you do this?" She asked surprisingly steady, while on the inside her body shook like a category five earthquake.

"I've done worse."

Nambia scoffed at this comment and rolled her eyes, "How noble," she retorted smartly with a cross of her arms.

Broly smiled, "Nobility was never my strong suit."

"So this is what you wanted to show me then? A run down old city in the middle nowhere on a cold night. Not very romantic," she scolded with arms folded and eyes directed at a random plain. Something in her was disappointed, but exactly what she couldn't say.

"It wasn't supposed to be," he laughed, his eyes narrowing on her with an impish grin.

She grew hot and red and refused to look at him, "Then what is it supposed to be?"

His lips retreated back into their usual snarl, his nose scrunched and eyes locked onto an invisible point on the land splayed out in front of them, "A hiding spot," he growled.

Nambia's eyes widened, "_You _all of people need a hiding spot?" She asked sarcastically. He was beginning to scare her again, but instead of harkening her rational mind again, she joined him on the ground. "Why would you need a hiding spot?"

"Them," he growled, his teeth baring by now. Nambia followed his gaze, meeting up with the glowing monstrosity of earth and stone piled upon each other in the horizon. "My father and his demented friend are watching us."

Nambia felt shivers crawl down her spine, "What?" She breathed, holding her arms around her as the air became colder than usual.

He turned his eyes to her, "You think you were brought here by chance? No. He's going to use you like he uses me," Broly snarled as he pointed to the crown he donned, by following it Nambia was giving a subtle shock.

"Paragus tried to give me one of those," she nearly gasped. "What is it?"

Broly grew silent and dark, his heart thundering in his chest and sending waves of electrical power surging through his body like a tidal wave.

"My damnation," he whispered.

Nambia shook her head as her previous knowledge of this man all seemed fictitious now. Everything seemed clear now, or at least clearer than it was before, and as she began to piece the puzzle together she grew angry. She looked to him, observing the crown that she almost placed upon her own head, and scoffed at it. If that was the reason for his rage then so be it, but how dare someone attempt to place that burden upon her or anyone. Her fists shook at the sight of it now and as she began to feel her sensible faculties fade from her conscious being. She could only think of removing the source of his burden as she leapt onto his lap and folded her small fingers around the gold, cold, metal of the band and tug until a wave of shock so prodigious and discordant sent itself flying down her bones. Nambia yelped and reeled back, only to be caught by one of his arms and a hand on her hip. She almost screamed but something in his eyes held it back for her.

They were softer now, more wanting of something and as he stared into her very soul she could only imagine what.

He ran his fingers up her back then, feeling the soft silk of her dress as he did so and making her shiver and breakout in a million tiny chill bumps. His smile had faded, and anger inspired vigor had come to a shuddering halt as she found herself in his lap, closer to him than she had ever been before. Her hands were burnt though, and swelling with red tenderness from the shock his crown had given her. She whimpered as they pumped pain through her nerves and he responded by taking her left hand into his palm and smoothing this thumb in hers. Small fingers closed around it despite the pain as she came to terms with what she had just tried to truly do.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. He brought his forehead to hers, and hushed her.

"Stop talking," he laughed briefly, bringing a hint of a smile to her lips for a moment.

It was that morning all over again.

Only this time, she felt a lot less timid.

Nambia folded one of her hands into his blue hair, raking her fingers through the coarse mane as he planted a kiss at her hair line. Her body grew hot again, and her face and chest flushed a light red from all the new blood her heart was pumping through her body. She became increasingly antsy and fidgety, only being able to hold her composure a tiny bit as kissed along her brow line and nipped the tip of her ear. Breaths came out as small, inaudible puffs of air for her lungs could not figure out what to do under such carnal pressure. He proceeded to kiss her skin anyway, this time along her cheek bones and bridge of her nose, saturating her with his warm breath and making her feel dizzy. Nambia sighed, and tilted her head back a bit, allowing him the under of her neck that activated a million tiny nerves to send shocking waves of pleasure up her spine. She had to stop feeding him though, but she really didn't want to. Her hands latched onto his face, snapping it back up to hers where their breathing met in a mutual pattern. Mouths hovered over each other, exchanging the same feeling of wanting what shouldn't be happening. She contemplated if she should let it happen, her eyes wondering into his as they did. There, she saw the lion in its full glory.

So she gave in to it.

His mouth pressed on top of hers, connecting their faces and tongues in a blast of fiery heat. She gripped his shoulders, her mind becoming foggy of many details of the night around them and of the past time she had spent in his presence. Her cognitive abilities slipped just out of her grasp, their gate corroded by his lips as she enjoyed their gentle roughness against hers. For the time being, she was susceptible to his pleasure for it felt as if cold, refreshing water had been thrown on the fire that fueled her resentment for him- a fire that danced so frailly upon pity and intrigue. For a moment, she pondered what the fuel behind his desire was as well, but as she thought she grew worried yet again. His lips were hungry, his body deprived of anything that remotely resembled any sort of affection that when she grabbed his ring, burned her hands to attempt to free him that it ignited a spark of tenderness that had so long been dormant inside of him. It was then, as he was moving her to the ground that she realized what exactly that meant- that she couldn't afford to feed it.

"Stop," she gasped, breaking their kiss and jerking a hint of frustration from him.

"Why?" He growled and held himself over her, both of his massive arms as pillars beside her head.

Nambia shook her head, her words choking her as she stared up at him, "It's not right."

"What's not right?" He snarled, his teeth showing the anger that was his own.

Nambia pushed against his chest, "Get off," she demanded, her little palms pressed against his pecks. His stare was dark at first, but as he saw the seriousness in her eyes, it softened and he complied. She rolled up, "Take me back," she demanded subtly.

Broly smirked, "Why should I do that?" He asked, initiating a challenge.

Nambia buried her face in her hands and massaged her temples, "You just love a fight don't you?"

"All saiyans do," he laughed and growled lowly.

She rolled her eyes in response, "I should have seen that coming."

_Along with everything else,_ she thought to herself as she examined the burn marks on her hands that his ring had caused. It was such an intense shock that she didn't even know how she survived. Luck, she reckoned. Luck and cunning. Mentally, she had detached herself from the gold ringlet before the shock even occurred and in doing so must have subconsciously created an escape plan say things go south. It was easy, now that she thought of it, so why couldn't she do it before hand with him? What about this saiyan male made him so hard for her to avoid? So hard to think? Nambia shrugged. Perhaps she would never know but he definitely filled her need for exploration-for a break from normal routine. When she left she doubted that her life would ever be the same. That all of her encounters with him and this world would have changed her forever and for the better.

Broly stood, "I'll be back soon," he promised before he leapt out into the sky, stranding her on a decrepit eight story tall building.

Nambia gaped, her eyes widened. Something told her whatever he was up to, it wasn't good.

He crept in through the roof as silent as a predator examining his prey. The new energy that he sensed buzzing from his ringlet had set him on edge, made him anxious and frustrated. Bumps tingled from all over his body, sending wave after wave of shocking chill through him as he wedged himself between two rocks in the ceiling of the building that was nothing but rocky outcrop. The mirrors were visible from his range, and as he peered in closer at them Krunos and his father came into view. Immediately his stomach filled with bubbling rage and his mind buzzed with the want to kill stinging his brain like a thousand tiny scorpions. He stifled it swiftly. In the past he had learned that stealth was important when obtaining important knowledge despite the festering want to wipe the both off the face of the planet.

"The female is pestering," Krunos started off, his voice a rougher than usual growl. Broly leaned in, his interest peaked slightly.

"She isn't as naïve as I thought she was," Paragus added, his voice also holding a hint of aggravation. "Lucky for us that Broly's ring stopped her."

"As I designed," laughed Krunos. "You're the only one that can take it off of him, Paragus, being that you are the only one that holds that ring in your hands."

Paragus furrowed his brow, "This one is obsolete. When is the other one going to be ready?"

This time Broly furrowed his brow and rubbed the ring upon his head. All these years and he never pondered trying to remove it himself, but if Krunos spoke the truth that may be harder than meets the eye.

He had to get that ring his father wore.

"I would say about another two weeks," said Krunos after a few moments pause. He continued with, "What are we going to do about the woman? She hasn't put on her crown as of yet."

Paragus scoffed at his comment, "Seemingly she keeps him busy enough. Vegeta is my only concern."

Krunos chuckled, "I would imagine. We will have to distract him wont we?" He said, hinting towards a plan he had been brewing in his brain as a sort of back up.

"What are you suggesting?"

Krunos nodded and collected his thoughts, "Do you remember a young boy that Broly used to know? His name was, oh what was it….," Krunos pondered with his finger tapping the tip of his chin, "Celer I think it was."

Paragus's eyes widened as he remembered the name, "Yes, he and Broly used to spar all the time. Though he was never a match for my son," said Paragus as he recollected the images of the young saiyan boy.

Krunos gave a mischievous smile, "Did you know he reached the level of super saiyan just recently?"

"What?" Asked Paragus with the look of bewilderment plastered upon his face. "I didn't even think he would survive this long. Where is the boy now?"

"I'm right here," said a deep, dark voice from the edge of black. Celer stepped into view, his hair blonde as a super saiyan's should be and hands behind his back.

He was a young saiyan, but only a year or so under Broly. His features were sharp and angular, including his tail that sported a bald end as a scar that Broly had given him when they were just boys. Celer still bore similar clothing as he did when they were young: Black pants that were tucked into orange boots and a frock of unruly, large hair that reached mid back even when stood up by his super saiyan aura. Broly snarled, the boy wasn't a threat when he wasn't under his father's control but when he wasn't in control of his own will he damn sure could be. No doubt they had something planned with him, and no doubt would he be a part of it despite if he wanted to or not.

"You have you super saiyan, Paragus," laughed Krunos as he put an arm around Celer's shoulders.

"And don't worry about the woman," laughed Celer. "I'll take care of her."

* * *

><p>AN: Another chapter down, phew! Glad I finished this it was so itching to get out.<p>

So, if you enjoyed it please fav follow and leave a review! Reviews help me revive my vigor and thank you for taking the time to read!


End file.
